The Hounds began wrapping up their offseason conditioning and weight training sessions this week as they prepare to open preseason football practice next Thursday.

The 2013 season opens Aug. 30 at home.

“We’ve had a good summer. We’ve had about 100 guys out, ninth through 12th grade, who have been working hard to get ready for practice,” coach Dwight Jones said.

The players have worked three days a week – at either 8 a.m. or 5 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. They begin in the weight room, then go to the field for running.

“My big concern going into preseason practice is that with all the rain we’ve had so far this summer, it has been a lot cooler than normal, so the guys aren’t as used to the heat as usual,” Jones said. “The ones who have been coming to the workouts are in pretty good shape now, but if it turns off hot in late July and August, they’re going to be hurting, I’m afraid.”

In addition to the weight training and conditioning work, the quarterbacks, running backs, receivers, linebackers and defensive backs have also worked in a passing league over the summer, working against other schools two or three evenings a week.